Pulverizing machine



June 12, 1928.

W. L. M LAUGHLIN ET AL PULVERI Z ING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 5 v 1927 mm m WLMflfiusuml H We- LME LAUEHLUI June 12, 1928.

W. L. M LAUGHLIN ET AL.

PULVERI Z ING MACHINE Filed y 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet gwoe'nto'o W L11 LAusHL/M H. 13.1; unflm1- Patented 12, 1928.

- UNITED STATES 1,673,465 PATENT OFFICE.

WESOH L. KcLAUGHIIE AND L. IOLLUGHLIK, DE DIS IOIHES, IOWA.

PULVERIZIR'G CHINE.

Application fled m 5, 1921. Serial in. 203,314.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for reducing lump coal and the like to an impalpable powder for fuel purposes.

A further object is to provide a pulverizing machine that is under the control of the operator at all times and is capable of being regulated to reduce coal toany desired degree of fineness.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a pulverizing apparatus that utilizes the hot air-drying means of the device for separating the comminuted coal from the coal that is in a more coarse condition.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a pulverizing device that automatically removes the tramp iron, hard rock and the like from the coal before the same ufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Our invention consists inthe construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a back end view of. our complete machine in operative engagement with a priine mover, ready for use.

Fig. 2. is a side sectional view of our invention taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and more fully illustrates its interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a side view of our device ready for use and illustrates by dotted lines, the manner of removing the rotatably mounted cylinder and pulverizing hammers.

Fig. at is a side sectional view. of the pulverizing hammers and cylinder to which they are secured and is taken on line 4-4 of Fig. '2.

Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of a portion of the cylinder and pulverizing hammers and more fully illustrates the manner of securing the hammers to the cylinder.

6 is a top plan sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing a trough for catching and returning material to the pulvcriz'zng chamber that has not been properly reduced to a palpable condition. Laboratory experiments prove that fuel is consumed with the highest efiiciency when reduced 'to impalpability and correctly mixed with the proper proportions of air.

Heretofore, however, the general adoption of the use of powdered fuel has been pre eluded, due to the ineflicient machines for re ducmg the coal to a pulverized condition. One of the most common known machines for producing powdered coal is the ball mill, which consists merely of a rotating cylinder having therein, the fuel to be ground and heavy balls. It is impossible to control these machines and the coal is not all properly pulverized for 'eflicient use. These machines are slow in reducing the coal to a comminnted condition and this final result is too costly for their acceptability as a coal pulverizer. It should also be noted that the coal commonly used today, contains a substantial portion of volatile matter. and this volatile matter is one of the important heat producing elements. In bituminous coal, which is the most adaptable for use in powdered form, the volatile matter is easily released and diffused at an oxidizin temperature. Because of this fact, oneof t e principal 'diificulties encountered in producin powdered coal in a suflicient degree of ones for successful combustion has been to eliminate the uncombined water without losing considerable quantities of volatile matter in the coal. We have overcome all of these objectionsv as will be appreciated by those familiar with the art.

We have designated the pulverizing chamber of the device by the numeral 10, which consists of a plurality of side plates secured together by suitable means. Secured on the rear top portion of this chamber is the hopper 11 designed to receive the material to be reduced to a granular state. Rotatably mounted in the bottom portion of this hop- 7 per is the shaft 12 permanently secured on 14 and having their faces adjacent the crusher 13 are the jaws 15. Extending outwardly from the upper portion of each of these jaws is an arm 16 having slidably mounted thereon, a weight 17, which may be secured against sliding movement by the set screws 18. By this arrangement, the weights will yieldingly hold the jaws 15 adjacent the crusher 13. Rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the side walls of the hopper is a third shaft 19. Rotatably mounted on this shaft and below each jaw 15 is an upwardly extending pointed jaw 20. Each of these last mentioned jaws have an outwardly' extending arm 21 slidably mounted on which is the weight 22 having the set. screw 23 for securing the weight against sliding movement. Between each pair of arms 16 and 21 is a connecting link 24, adjustably secured by" pins 25 capable of passing through any one of the various holes 25 in the arms 16, 21, and the ends of the link, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By this arrangement the jaws 15 and 21 may be normally placed at any desired relation to the crusher 13. Secured to the upper rear side of the pulverizing chamber 10 is a trough 26, the outer edge ofwhich limits the downward movement of the arms 21, thereby holding the jaws 15 and 20 in correct normal position adjacent the crusher 13. The material which we have designated by the numeral 27 in the hopper 11 is drawn downwardly and crushed between the grinder 13 and the j aws 15 when the former is rotated. However, if'tramp iron, hard rock, or the like happens to be present in the fuel material to be ground, the same will force the yielding jaw 15, in which it comes in contact with, outwardly, which will raise the arm 16 secured to that jaw. The raising of this arm 16 will pull the arm 21 to which it is secured, upwardly, which will cause the jaw 20 to which that arm is secured, to extend inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby catching the hard matter and guiding it into the trough 26,thereby preventing it from entering the pulverizing chamber. The further the weights 17 and 22 are out on the arms 16 and 21 respectively, the more forcibly will-the jaws 15 be yieldingly held adjacent the crusher 13. This adjustment will be necessary in the grinding of material of various hardness. In Fig. 2, we have designated the hard matter such a tramp iron that is prevented from entering the pulverizing chamber, by the numeral 28. By having a pluralityof jaws, little coal will be placed in the trough with the hard substance. From the rotary crusher. 13, the coal fuel which is now in a coarse granular condition and designated by the numeral 29,- passes into the pulverizing chamber where it is forwarded to the upper center of the same by the inwardly extending walls 30 and 31,

each having a plurality of steps on their under side, the purpose of which will hereinafter he explained. In each side of the pulverizing chamber is a horizontal slot which we have designated by the numerals 32 and 33 respectively. b'lidably mounted in each of these slots is a bearing member 34, rotatably mounted in which is a shaft 35.

Permanently secured on this shaft is a large cylinder comprising a plurality of disk members 36 spaced andheld apart by the hub members 37. lassing through all of these disks is a plurality of bolts 38. R0- tatably mounted on each of these bolls is a plurality of centrifugal pulverizing hammers 39, spaced apart by washers 40. These hammers are of various lengths, one to the other and each row of hammers is turned at an angle opposite from the angle of the row of hammers adjacent to it, in order to produce a vortex inside the pulverizing chamber. By this arrangement of the hammers, not only will the Iuel to be pulverized be thrown into the oncoming hammer, but the coal particles will continuously be striking each other in mid air, thereby cracking them up into a powdered condition. it should be noted that the hammers at the ends of each row are straight. The numerals 41 and 42 designate a collar secured to the shaft 35 and on each side of the cylinder. These collars permit the c linder to be properly adjusted on the sha t 35. By the bearing members 33 and 34 being slidably mounted in the slots 32 and 33 the complete cylinder, shaft, and hammers may be withdrawn from the machine, as shown in Fig. 3 by removing the door 43. The numerals 44 and 45 designate panels for inclosing the slots 32 and-33 when the bearing members are in normal operative position. The numeral 46 designates a plurality of upwardly extending threaded rods, each designed to have thereon, two nuts 47 for adjustably holding an electric motor 48, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement, various motors may be mounted on the rods and adjusted to properly line up with our pulverizing machine. The numeral 49 designates a pulley wheel mounted on the shaft 35 and which is in operative engagement with the motor 48 by the flexible coupling 50. By this arrangement, when the motor 48 is running, the cylinder carrying the pulverizing hammers will be rotating at a high speed. The numeral 51 designates a receiving chamber secured on the upper forward portion of the pulverizing chamber and communicating with the same. At the top and near the center of this receiving chamber is an outlet pipe 52 communicating with an induction fan 53, shown in conventional form in Fi 2. The numeral 54 designates an outlet pipe. from the induction fan to an ordinary bag separator (not shown).

Mounted in the upper portion of this chamber and under the outlet pipe 52 is the return trough 55 having the return lead pipe 56 terminating alongside the inner walls of the pulverizing chamber, the function of which will hereinafter be appreciated. The numeral 57 designates bearingmembcrs secured to the receiving chamber, one of which is pivotally mounted, as shown in Fig. 2 and the other slidably mounted on the bracket 58 as shown in Fig. 3. Rotatably mounted in these two bearing members is a shaft 59 having a large pulley wheel 60, secured on one end. The numeral (51 designates an endless belt operatively connecting the pulley wheel 49 with the pulley wheel 60. Secured to the other end of the shaft 59 is a small friction wheel 62, capable of engaging the large wheel 63 secured to the shaft 12. The numeral 64 designates a split bearing around the shaft 59. Embracing this split bearing is the housing 65 having the set screw 66 threaded into its side for holding the split bearing together in the housing. The numeral 67 designates a bracket secured to one side of the receiving chamber. Having one end pivoted to this bracket is the ordinary hand lever 68, capable of being placed and held in various positions by engaging the rack 69. The numeral 70 designates a link operatively connecting said hand lever with the housing 65. By this construction, the hand lever 68 can so be set that the friction wheel 62 is in engagement with the pulley wheel 63 and if the motor 48 is running, the grinder 13 will be rotated. The numeral 71 designates a hot air inlet pipe communieating with the pulverizing chamber and a furnace (not shown). The numeral 72 designates a bracket integrally formed on' the door 43 having steps on its under side. The numeral 73 designates similar steps formed on the rear wall of the pulverizingchamber. The numerals 74, 75, and 76 designate doors respectively in the side walls of t e pulverizing chamber.

The practical operation of the device is as follows: Place the fuel material to be ground, in the hopper 11 and start the electric motor 48. If the friction wheel 62 is in engagement with the wheel 63, the grinder 13 will reduce the material to a coarse granular state 29, in which condition it is fed by the walls 30 and 31 to the pulverizing hammers 39, which are traveling at a great" speed. The material being fed to the pulverizing chamber will soon be broken up to a degree of fineness that is as nearlyin its molecular relationship as it is possible to get it. This fuel as it reaches a powdered state, will be drawn up into the receiving chamber by the induced draft through the pipe 54 and into the bag separator. If by chance, any of the fuel not in a powdered state is drawn up into the upper portion of the receiving chamber, it must pass over the top of the trough 55 where a calm exists. Without the rising hot air to keep it in suspension, these coarser particles fall into the receiving trough and are returned to the pulverizing chamber.

The amount of material reaching the crusher 13 may be regulated by the member 77 slidably mounted on the brackets 78 and adjustably secured thereon by the set screws 79. The opening 80 provides a view for observing the material passing to the crusher 13. By the hammers being pivoted on the cylinder, they are only held in extended positions by centrifugal force. This makes them to a certain extent, capable of yielding slightly when striking a hard or heavy piece of material. The draft passing through the pulverizing chamber is so slow that only such particles as are sufliciently lightwill remain suspended in the air; The final product is therefore, of a degree of fineness heretofore unattainable for commercial purposes. Fuel in this condition may be burned with a high degree of efli- 'ciency and we have found by tests of our method, there is substantially no reduction of the quantity of volatile matter or of the number of heat units.

The numeral 81 designates an electric motor for operating the fan 53. 6

Although we have described our invention as a. coal pulverizer, it may readily be adzipted to the pulverizing of other materla s.

From the foregoing, it will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, that we have provided a machine that will reduce fuel to a powdered state eflieiently and economically.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our improved pulverizing machine without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention and it is our intention to cover by our claims, any modified forms of structure mounted on said shaft and adjacent said crusher, an arm extending from said jaw, a third shaft, a jaw rotatably mounted on said last mentioned shaft and extending toward said crusher, an arm extending from said last mentioned 'aw, and a link connecting said arms toget er.

2. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a shaft rotatably mounted at the lower end of said hopper, a crusher secured to said shaft, a prime mover for rotating said shaft, a second shaft, a jaw rotatably mounted on said shaft and adjacent said crusher, an arm extending from said jaw, a third. shaft, a jaw rotatably mounted on said last mentioned shaft and extending toward said crusher, an arm extending from said last mentioned jaw, and a link adjustably connecting said arms together.

3. In a device of the class described. a hopper, a shaft rotatably mounted at the lower end of said hopper, a crusher secured to said shaft, a prime mover for rotating said shaft, a second shaft, a jaw rotatably mounted on said shaft and adjacent said crusher, an arm extending from said jaw, a third shaft, a aw rotatably mounted on said last mentioned shaft and extending toward said crusher, an arm extending from said last mentioned jaw, a link adjustably connecting said arms together, and an adjustable weight slidably mounted on each arm.

4. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a shaft rotatably mounted at the lower end of said hopper, a crusher secured to said shaft, a prime mover for rotatin" said shaft, a second shaft, a plurality of jaws rotatably mounted on said shaft and adjacent said crusher, an arm extending from each of said jaws, a third shaft, a plurality of jaws rotatably mounted on said last mentioned shaft and extending toward said crusher, an arm extending from each of said last mentioned jaws, a link secured to each pair of arms on said shafts. and a means of regulating the amount of material reaching said crusher.

WILSON L. MCLAUGHLIN. HERROLD L. MCLAUGHLIN. 

